Luke Shiach

In January 2024 I returned to Buzz 16 to executive produce the second series of 'THE OVERLAP ON TOUR' for Sky. This followed a hugely successful first series in 2023 in which Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher travelled around the UK and Ireland performing live in huge sold-out arenas and recording VTs in the locations of these live events. The second series involved overseas locations including: Valencia, Turin and Istanbul.

In 2023, I also executive produced my third series of 'IAIN STIRLING'S CELEBABILITY' for ITV2/Potato.

In 2022, I executive produced 'THE JOHN BISHOP SHOW' - a brand-new Saturday night comedy show for ITV. The show featured John Bishop performing stand-up comedy, interviewing celebrity guests, participating in comedy sketches and speaking to a variety of overseas comics casting their eyes over events around the world and here in the UK. It was subsequently recommissioned for a second series.

Before this, I executive produced the fifth and sixth series of 'IAIN STIRLING'S CELEBABILITY' for ITV2/Potato. Each series is an 8-episode run of the popular comedy-entertainment show hosted by Iain Stirling and featuring Marek Larwood, Scarlett Moffatt and a range of celebrities taking part in funny challenges with teams of regular people convinced they can beat the stars at their secret abilities.

In 2021, I also completed the covid-paused 'COMEDIANS GIVING LECTURES' (series 2 and 3) for 12 Yard/Dave and a fourth 'ALOTO XMAS SPECIAL'.

Beforehand, I was back at CPL series producing the debut series of 'QUIZNESS WITH TOM ALLEN' for Channel 4. This comedy-quiz format was devised by Dan Maier and commissioned following a successful pilot in October 2020. The subsequent six-episode series aired on Channel 4 in May 2021.

In between the pilot and the series of 'QUIZNESS', I was retained by CPL to be series producer on the 'A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN' Christmas special (for the third time). This involved a lavish and complicated VT shoot at a spectacular location in Berkshire, celebrity cameos, live video link up with James Corden in LA and an open-top bus parade with pyrotechnics, drones and low branches.

In August 2020, I series produced a prime-time series of 'RICHARD OSMAN'S HOUSE OF GAMES' for BBC1/Remarkable. These built on the success of the daytime version and featured guests including: Jason Manford, Jennifer Saunders, Roisin Conaty and Jermain Jenas.

At the start of 2020, I was hired by 12 Yard Productions to series produce series 2 and 3 of 'COMEDIANS GIVING LECTURES' - hosted by Sara Pascoe and featuring dozens of top comedians including Johnny Vegas, Josh Widdicombe, Jo Brand and many more..

In 2019, I was at Sony Pictures Entertainment where I series produced the pilot and ensuing debut series of 'BACK OF THE NET', a football-based weekly comedy-entertainment show hosted by John Bishop, Peter Crouch and Gabby Logan for Amazon Prime.

Towards the end of 2018 - and into early 2019 - I series produced the first two series of 'AL MURRAY'S GREAT BRITISH PUB QUIZ' for Avalon TV. This consisted of 20 hour-long episodes hosted by Al Murray featuring a mix of real pub quizzers, comedian guest captains, a resident brainy barman (Shaun Williamson) and a live studio pianist.

In May 2018 I returned to CPL Productions to develop 'THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MOVIES' - a film-centric panel show subsequently commissioned by Sky One. Whilst there, I also series produced the 'A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL' (my second year doing it). This involved organising a cricket match with the main cast and invited celebrities who've featured on the show along with celeb cameos, a band, an ice-cream van and a giant inflatable Baby Freddie Flintoff!

At the end of 2017 and into Spring 2018, I series produced 'BUY IT NOW' for Studio Lambert/Channel 4. This ambitious debut series of 30 x 30-minute episodes - where inventors try to sell their inventions to an audience of shoppers in the hope of supersizing that sale with a panel of national retailers - was hosted by Brian Conley. The role included overseeing a huge casting team, a small army of PDs filming back-stories and post-show interviews, multiple edits and over 100 contributors from all over the world. The series was broadcast in Spring 2018 and subsequently recommissioned for prime-time in 2019.

In Autumn 2017, I series produced the pilot of 'FOR FACTS SAKE' for Hungry Bear/BBC1. This comedy panel show hosted and devised by Mrs Browns Boys star Brendan O'Carroll was commissioned for a full series airing in late 2018.

In 2017, I series produced a third series of 'PLAY TO THE WHISTLE', a prime-time comedy-entertainment show revolving around sport for ITV. The show was hosted by Holly Willoughby and featured team captains Frank Lampard and Bradley Walsh as well as a changing cast of comedians, sportsmen and entertainment personalities. These included: John Terry, Alan Shearer, Jimmy Carr, Scarlett Moffatt, Ore Aduba, Judy Murray, James Anderson and many more. I series produced all three series for Hungry Bear.

In 2016, I series produced 'CODSWALLOP' - a comedy panel show pilot for ITV/Potato. It was hosted by Rylan Clark-Neal and featured team captains Vicky Pattison and Tom Rosenthal with comedian and celebrity team-mates in a battle of bluffing and talking...codswallop. A few weeks prior to recording, ITV asked us to make the pilot TXable so we had all the challenges that a first show in a new series entails - IE, honing the format, casting, set, graphics, music, titles, production team, writers and edit etc.

Immediately prior to 'CODSWALLOP', I finished series producing a pilot for a panel show devised and hosted by Frank Skinner for Avalon/BBC called 'BUT IS IT ART?' which - as the title subtly hints - was all about the arts.

Late in 2015, I series produced the second series of 'PLAY TO THE WHISTLE' for ITV. Again featuring Holly Willoughby, Frank Lampard and Bradley Walsh, this series included hidden camera VT filming, bigger studio games and guests including: Anthony Joshua, Tom Daley, Kevin Bridges and Katherine Ryan.

In the summer of 2015, I series produced the topical comedy show 'IT'S A FUNNY OLD WEEK' hosted by Jason Manford as well as the gameshow 'PICK ME!' hosted by Stephen Mulhern - both for ITV. 'PICK ME!' was a big, loud, chaotic show (on and off screen!) which went on to win a Rose D'Or award for 'Best Game Show' which was as surprising as it was thrilling.

At the start of 2015, I was hired by Dan Baldwin at Hungry Bear to series produce 'PLAY TO THE WHISTLE' which debuted on ITV in a Saturday night prime-time slot after 'BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT'. The sports-based comedy-entertainment show was hosted by Holly Willoughby and featured Frank Lampard and Bradley Walsh as team captains with other regulars including Romesh Ranganathan, Seann Walsh and Jimmy Bullard. The role involved fine-tuning the format, overseeing scripts, supervising the producers and production team and working closely with talent, execs, editors, writers and commissioners to launch the debut series.

Prior to that, I finished producing Series 9 of Sky's 'A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN' for CPL (having produced Series 6, Series 7 and Series 8 previously). Hosted by James Corden and with regular panellists Freddie Flintoff, Jamie Redknapp and Jack Whitehall, the show marries sport and comedy in an entertaining, often silly way and features big studio-based games and VTs involving high-octane action from various homes of sport (IE, F1 racing at Silverstone, penalty-kicks at Wembley etc).

In 2014, I series produced the development phase of 'THRONECAST' for CPL. This was the relaunched spin-off show accompanying Sky's global hit 'GAME OF THRONES'. Whilst doing that at CPL, I also series produced a film quiz pilot for Sky called 'THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MOVIES' which was very well received and years later was resurrected and commissioned!

In 2013, I produced 'TIMELINE' - a quiz show for Sky/Whizz Kid which was hosted by Brian Conley.

In 2011, I produced the debut series of 'MAD MAD WORLD', a comedy panel show for ITV made by Roughcut TV. It aired in prime-time slots on Saturday nights from mid-April to early June 2012.

Before that, I worked on 'THAT SUNDAY NIGHT SHOW' hosted by Adrian Chiles and series produced by Jo Bunting for Avalon/ITV.

In December 2010, I completed my 10th series of 'HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU' for Hat Trick. My role on 'HIGNFY' involved providing topical and comedic material as featured in the host's script and questions, devising special themed rounds, suggesting and recruiting hosts and panel guests, checking material for legal compliance, editing the extended repeats, editing the 10-minute 'webisodes' and rehearsing with guest hosts during run-throughs.

In the break between various series of 'HIGNFY', I co-produced a series of 'MOCK THE WEEK' (the final one featuring Frankie Boyle) and worked at Endemol on a non-TX pilot for ITV1 called 'Exit Strategy'.

Before joining Hat Trick, I was at So TV producing question content for 'SCHOOL'S OUT', a primetime BBC1 entertainment show hosted by Danny Wallace.

Previously, I was an AP at Jonathan Ross' Hotsauce Productions working on 'THE BIG FAT QUIZ OF THE YEAR' for Channel Four. In addition to collaborating with the producers (and presenter Jimmy Carr) on the programme's creative content, I was responsible for choosing, sourcing and editing archive material. This included clips, stills and montages of the Ashes and Live 8.

Earlier in 2005, I was a development AP at RDF, where I worked on developing dozens of programme ideas for the company's Formats Team.

Before that, I was at So TV working on `THE BIGGER PICTURE WITH GRAHAM NORTON' for BBC1, researching news and current affairs for discussion and comic analysis by a panel of well-known media figures.

In 2004, I worked on the very first edition of 'THE BIG FAT QUIZ OF THE YEAR'. I contributed to the quiz's format and researched funny news stories for question content. Before that, I worked on 'THE CRAM' for BBC2 - a topical news quiz researched, written, recorded, edited and transmitted on the same day - and 'COME AND HAVE A GO...IF YOU THINK YOU'RE SMART ENOUGH' - a live prime time BBC1 entertainment programme hosted by Nicky Campbell.

Previously, I was a script researcher on 'CRISIS COMMAND: COULD YOU RUN THE COUNTRY?' for BBC2 which aired in September 2004. I was hired by David Tibballs and John Hesling to write first draft scripts for three episodes of the programme. I then worked closely with the producer of each episode to develop the narrative structure of the scripts and also to research supporting data.

From 2001 to early 2003, I was one of two researchers who wrote the put-downs and general comedy script as delivered by Anne Robinson on `THE WEAKEST LINK'. Huddling with the series producer and host between each round of filming, we determined the most amusing way of deflating the contestants' egos. I was also part of a larger pool that wrote the quiz questions, compiled shows and collaborated on themed specials.